Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Zheng Zha turned his head, looking at him with a puzzled expression, and asked, "What are you talking about? What do you mean Margot Lloyd prepared in advance? That she predicted someone would die?"

“Eden, huh?” Xiao Honglu pointed to the ground, then waved to the newlyweds who were gathered in a circle. “Let’s move aside a bit, Patchouli might need a little more time. Let’s not get in her way by standing next to her.”

He pulled Zheng Zha up and explained as he walked away, "Brother Zheng Zha, do you remember? There was a newcomer who died earlier."

"Yes, I remember. She was fair-skinned and clean-cut."

“Yes.” Xiao Honglu sighed and continued, “Back then, I took the opportunity to ask Sister Alice if there was any way to resurrect the dead. After all, in the Ju-on world, that… uh, woman. You know.” He glanced at Zhang Heng and, seeing that the latter didn’t react, continued to explain.

"Sister Alice rejected my suggestion at the time. Because that newcomer did nothing, did nothing change anything, he had no achievements in this world, so there was no way to resurrect him through magic... at least not through the spells in the magic system of Sister Alice and her group."

“I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, and I even quickly forgot about it... Anyway, it wasn’t important, and there was no need to waste brainpower to remember it. But I never expected that Sister Alice would keep it in mind all this time, and even make plans for us later... This church, this ‘Garden of Eden’.”

He lifted his foot and tapped it lightly on the ground.

"If there are no achievements, then create them... I know a little about Alice's magic. If they want to cast spells... to cast powerful spells, they have to do things that conform to myths and legends. That's why she brought us here and specially prepared this 'Garden of Eden' for us. Besides testing the nature of death, another purpose is to give us the identity of 'residents of the Garden of Eden' so that we are qualified to become immortal by eating the 'Fruit of Life'!"

"We've been given an extra life!"

Not far away, the radiance generated by the magic grew stronger as the ceremony progressed. Even the newlyweds who had heeded Xiao Honglu's words and avoided the area couldn't help but close their eyes and avert their gaze.

The light grew increasingly dazzling.

Xiao Honglu also shut his mouth. He turned his head, and his gaze met Saito Hajime, who had suddenly appeared on the other side of the preaching hall. Just as he was about to say something, Zhan Lan, who came out from the other side, happened to come to Zheng Zha's side—as the figures crossed, their eyes also met.

Meanwhile, without exception, all the veterans heard the sound of their own hearts beating.

From weak to strong, from slow to fast. From ethereal to stable.

The white light gradually faded away.

Author's Note:

..........................................

I took some time to look at other books on Shuke and suddenly found one that was quite well written.

The title is "Island Frontline." Holy crap, this author updates like crazy! If I had half, a third… a quarter of his update speed, I probably wouldn't be working until the early hours of the morning every day. Envy is making me unrecognizable.jpg

Well, overall it's a good book, a Girls' Frontline story, and very well written. After reading 300,000 words, I even feel like writing my own Girls' Frontline story! ORZ

In short, interested readers might want to check it out. Although I don't know the author, and judging from the ratings, it doesn't seem like it needs a recommendation from someone as insignificant as me. But a good book is a good book, and taking a look... probably won't hurt.

Section Sixty: Conscience is Unnecessary

At the moment when the radiance faded, or at the moment when the radiance was at its strongest, Zheng Zha suddenly felt an itch on his neck.

This is a gaze, a warning instinctively issued by the body when external spiritual energy is focused on a certain part of the body. The moment he realized this, he knew one thing: someone was watching him, and there was no malice in that gaze.

He subconsciously lowered his head, his gaze meeting Xiao Honglu's in mid-air. Those dark eyes seemed to still hold a lingering sense of relief at having understood Alice's intentions; however, in that fleeting moment, less than half a millisecond, as their eyes parted, Zheng Zha sensed something unusual in them.

[It's an implication that Xiao Honglu wasn't just looking at me meaninglessly; his gaze carried a deeper meaning.]

Why is this? Should it be kept secret?

[If Hsiao Hung-lu has something to say to me, why doesn't he tell me through Chan Lan via a telepathic connection?]

Could it be... no, not this?

Zheng Zha suddenly realized something was off. Indeed, Xiao Honglu was somewhat out of place.

[Yes, I almost forgot something. Xiao Honglu is a smart man, but also a proud one. He might admit that he's inferior to Margot Lloyd in some aspects, but getting him to bow his head before Margot Lloyd is incredibly difficult. Why would someone like him suddenly emphasize the preparations Margot Lloyd made for us?]

Even if he truly understood, he would only secretly resolve to devise a more comprehensive plan and strategy to surpass Margot Lloyd. Why would he openly proclaim Margot Lloyd's contingency plan, which is tantamount to admitting defeat? Wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting he's inferior to her?

Unless... there's another meaning behind his words!

Zheng Zha knew he wasn't particularly good at strategic planning. But he was quite confident in his ability to judge people… Well, those college students from the Ju-on arc were indeed an accident. But he was certain that Xiao Honglu was not the type to be subservient to anyone. Even if his previous plans and schemes were overturned many times, he would never be discouraged or give up.

Why did he do that?

[To calm people down? No, I could tell that the newcomer's death wasn't normal, and the others should be able to guess it too... but Margot and the others' deductions are correct, and it's a fact. Although losing a newcomer is regrettable, isn't Norrie trying to save him right now? Besides, there's no need to calm people down at all. We're not in the Ju-on era anymore; even if a newcomer wanted to cause trouble, we could stop him in time.]

My head is starting to hurt...

He instinctively reached out to touch his forehead. But before he could, a sudden idea struck him.

[If I were Xiao Honglu, why would I do this?]

What am I trying to express?

A glint of light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

【Garden of Eden.】

Those who lived in the Garden of Eden would not die.

Xiao Honglu wouldn't give up easily, so mentioning Margot and the others was just a cover. What he wanted to emphasize to me was the people inside Eden!

This was deliberate! And the prime suspect is—

..................................................................

As the light faded, the newcomer named Li Laoshi quickly regained his life under Patchouli's magic. He woke up groggily, seemingly a little dazed, but this was likely due to the shock of his brush with death; he would probably recover after a short rest. At least compared to saving his life, this level of effort was insignificant.

The newlyweds all unconsciously showed signs of relaxation. Including the fair-skinned young man who had tried to help but ended up putting his companion in a dangerous situation, everyone quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

survived.

Since they survived, that was better than anything else. If the veterans could revive Li Laoshi, then naturally the others could too. Thinking of this, the newcomers, already quite docile from the veterans' intimidation, couldn't help but show obsequious expressions towards Patchouli. After all, possessing extraordinary power was one thing, but being able to bring someone back to life was another. Although both were currently beyond the reach of the newcomers, their lives were at stake. Wouldn't it be terrible if, under normal circumstances, a bad impression led to no one coming to their rescue? If the other veterans weren't still present and the newcomers weren't lacking in emotional intelligence, some of them would probably have tried to flatter Patchouli and gain favor.

They should be thankful they didn't. Because even as everyone else breathed a sigh of relief and the veterans smiled, Patchouli's indifferent face was actually filled with rage.

[He's completely dead; his soul has utterly disintegrated.]

She didn't look at the middle-aged white-collar worker who seemed perfectly resurrected, only appearing somewhat dazed due to the recent brush with death. That body was no longer of any value, because its most crucial component—the soul—had been completely annihilated. And she knew perfectly well why.

It was that angel.

[When I killed that angel, the energy shockwave from its disintegrating corpse penetrated the outer wall of the church. This newcomer, having fallen and died, had his soul's information fragments leave his body. The energy noise, encountering a fragile soul, naturally resulted in his annihilation… This was a deadly attack that could only be orchestrated by Alice's prior planning. Without understanding the information mage's magical system, it would be impossible to arrange such a coincidence.]

Unless this is truly a coincidence.

Naturally, Patchouli didn't believe in pure coincidence within the 'Final Destination' universe. Furthermore, the nature of death had been clarified as angels—they had been proven to be bound by rituals constructed from the myths and legends of the Church. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that they were the ones who acted at that time.

[If it's not external factors, then it must be internal interference. And it's someone who knows about our magic system... a veteran, or a pawn planted by a veteran. What a coincidence, Xiao Honglu, Zhan Lan, and Saito Ichi, all three of you are reincarnators who exchanged for mental enhancements. If we're talking about suspicion, you're not far off the mark. Add to that the information Alice provided earlier...]

[The probability of it being Saito Hajime is over 90%, while the remaining possibilities are Zhan Lan and Xiao Honglu. Considering Xiao Honglu's personality and behavior, his possibility can basically be ruled out. So—]

[Whether it's Saito Hajime or Zhan Lan, one of you has colluded with a Grim Reaper. And since you're starting with the newcomers, you probably have planted spies among them as well.]

[Among the new recruits, the most likely to encounter problems are the scout, the woman with her eyes closed, and the one who was rescued... there's no need to consider those.]

【…】

[The one among the newcomers who was saved... there's no need to consider that.]

[Tsk.]

Patchouli thought bitterly, but outwardly showed no sign of distress. Her face remained calm, her eyes indifferent. She hadn't successfully resurrected the newcomer; she had merely repaired and reactivated his stagnant brain. Then, she inputted a relatively simple logical AI into his brain, making him appear alive and allowing him to blend into the ranks of newcomers.

Directly admitting there was a traitor in the team was a poor strategy; the team was already in grave danger. A struggle without a complete breakdown was better than an immediate collapse. Besides, she didn't want to steal the spotlight from some muscle-bound idiot. She now had another plan to execute.

【Very well, you want to play? Then I'll play with you. I'd like to see how many pieces you have to use as chips... Don't think I'm unaware that my perception has been affected. I know very well that a very important clue is right in front of me, and I'm completely oblivious to it.】

I'm not some idiot like Alice who has to consider every single detail!

The girl's thoughts were temporarily interrupted.

At that moment, Zheng Zha, seemingly oblivious to Xiao Honglu's hint, stood in the middle of the crowd and announced to the others the second plan that Patchouli had previously told him.

"We'll be heading to the Eastern Continent afterward, and we'll be spending the rest of our time there," Zheng Zha said loudly. "It's now confirmed that the Grim Reapers are the angels from the papacy's mythology, and they plan to use a solar storm to cleanse the world in five days. We've fallen out with the American government and can't get any help here, so we need to find a more suitable battlefield."

“I don’t object,” Xiao Honglu said immediately. “But how do we get there? Hijack a civilian airliner? I suspect there’s a high probability we’ll encounter one or more anti-aircraft missiles. And using a boat would be too slow. We can’t afford to spend that much time.”

“This is nothing to worry about.” Patchouli gestured, and a beam of light depicting a satellite network was projected onto her outstretched fingers. “The current satellite network of the world is already under my control. I will monitor and hack into all high-speed flying machines while they are in flight. As long as they still have navigation systems and components that can form circuits, they will not be an obstacle for us.”

"Moreover, now that we have analyzed the nature of death, as long as I deploy an electromagnetic barrier of a specific frequency around the vehicle, I don't need to worry about the angels directly controlling the machine and causing malfunctions that would hinder the journey."

"But there is still the possibility that angels will attack us directly over the ocean. We're alright, but the newcomers and the main characters of the story will have a hard time surviving," Xiao Honglu continued to press.

“That’s still not a problem.” Patchouli withdrew her hand, and the physical light that formed the projection quietly disintegrated. “Whether it’s the angels in mythology or the angels I analyzed, they are quite lacking in initiative. Actively revealing themselves to attack is not in their behavioral pattern. Now is far from the moment of final battle.”

"Is that so? Then I have no further questions." Xiao Honglu shut his mouth, calmly taking a small step back. His conversation with Patchouli had resolved any potential loopholes in the current plan. Therefore, there was naturally no need for him to say anything more.

If Xiao Honglu was like this, then the taciturn Lingdian was even more so. Zhang Heng might have intended to say something, but before he could speak, he recalled his previous actions and obediently shut his mouth and lowered his head.

—And the newcomers have neither the right nor the need to speak.

“But what about Yingkong? We haven’t been able to contact her yet.” Zhan Lan glanced at the group with a puzzled look, her sensitive and perceptive nature sensing that something was off about the atmosphere. She then added, almost as if it were an unnecessary addition, “And what about Miss Alice? She hasn’t come back yet either.”

“Don’t worry about Alice, I’ll contact her later,” Patchouli replied calmly.

Zhan Lan was taken aback, then subconsciously replied, "And then there's Ying Kong..."

Saito's voice suddenly rang out.

“Leave her to me.” Saito Hajime, who had remained silent from the beginning and had been quietly observing the actions of the others, gently pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. “I can roughly guess what happened to her and where she went. Don’t worry, I will bring her back safe and sound.”

Zheng Zha gave Saito a deep look.

He suddenly smiled and walked straight to Saito Hajime, patting him hard on the shoulder.

"Then I'm leaving Sakura to you, my partner." He gave Saito a huge, bear-like hug, and then whispered in the latter's ear, "Bring Sakura back. We're all waiting for you."

"The two of them came back together."

Saito Hajime's calm and collected expression suddenly froze. His hand, which was about to push Zheng Zha away, also stopped in mid-air. He remained motionless for several seconds before revealing a faint smile.

"Okay." Saito Hajime's lips curled into a slight smile. "I'll bring her back with me."

He left Zheng Zha's bear hug, nodded to the others, and walked straight out of the church. Before long, he disappeared from everyone's sight, and neither satellite networks nor mental scans could find his trace.

Zheng Zha stared at the direction where Saito's figure disappeared for a long while before letting out a long sigh of relief.

“He’s gone,” Zheng Zha said calmly. “Then it’s our turn to act. Zhan Lan, how far is the nearest airport from here? Are our vehicles still usable?”

“Forty degrees east of north, a distance of 160 kilometers.” Zhan Lan replied quickly, “Our vehicle was not damaged, and we have enough fuel. We can set off at any time.”

“Very good.” Zheng Zha nodded.

"So, everyone, we'll probably be spending the rest of the day in cars and airplanes, so please be prepared."

Section 61, Day 3